My experience with .25 bullets for what it is worth....11 animals up to large cow elk shot with 100 gr. nosler ballistic tips 500-600 yds all broadside behind the shoulder double lungs. That large cow went 80 yds, the rest including mature whitetails and mule deer, traveled less than 50 yards before expiring. These animals were shot with a 25/300 Rum. with a muzzel velocity of 4250 fps, and a terminal velocity of between 2700-3000 fps. No exit wounds in any, bullets were all found under the hide on the far side. In the spring of 2009 that barrel had done all it could. I replaced it with a new barrel chambered in 25/300 win mag and it shoots the 100 gr. NBT's best at 3850. In the fall of 2009 on the eastern Colorado plains I shot a mature whitetail buck @673 broadside, double lung. He was out in the open and didn't know I was there....a friend with a spotting scope said he was hit good, so I didn't follow up with another shot. So we just watched, he trotted a ways and then laid down, and was looking around. It took 45 minutes for him to lay his head down and expire. Bullet went right through with bullet sized holes in both sides of the hide and the same in both lungs. Terminal velocity in this case was around 2100 fps. I realize this is a sample of one at that range, with that particular bullet, but I'm going to limit myself to 500 yds with this set up from now on.
25-06 Rem for LR hunting?
- Thread starter 188MULE
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188MULE
Well-Known Member
I have the same rifle, going to put one of B&C light weight stocks on it.
What is the temp when getting those numbers? I get those velocities at around 75 degrees but you drop down into the teens I might be loosing 100 fps or better. What kind of bullet performance are you getting on critters at 7-800?
Topgun 30-06
Well-Known Member
" friend with a spotting scope said he was hit good, so I didn't follow up with another shot. So we just watched, he trotted a ways and then laid down, and was looking around. It took 45 minutes for him to lay his head down and expire."
***So you just let that animal lay there for 45 minutes with no attempt at all to put him out of his misery?
***So you just let that animal lay there for 45 minutes with no attempt at all to put him out of his misery?
I appreciate your question. Where he laid down, there wasn't a shot and there was no way to move on him without being seen, didn't want to risk bumping him. We also thought he would expire at any moment....those moments just kept adding up.
188MULE
Well-Known Member
A few years ago my wife and I were out and she shot a whitetail buck at 500 with my .300 win and a 180 part. I saw the hit impact perfectly. Well he started milling around in the open with about 15 does never giving a shot. Like you said the moments started to add up, with no way to get closer with out possibly spooking the does and him over the hill into posted land. We lay and watched, because I saw the shot was perfect. After 15-20 minutes he fell over. The bullet went thru both lungs dead center. It seems the 180 partition may be a little tough for those ranges if no bones are contacted.
188mule, your right about the partition being too much bullet(to hard) for deer sized game,sure you can get them, but without hitting bones your going to be chasing. The 25 cal 115 Berger is a sweet match for deer size game, it just opens up, penetrates, and leaves a great wound channel. Matching caliber,bullet weight, velocity, bullet construction to each animal size can be tricky but when you find a combination that really shines you just know it. I have several different calibers that I play with and ballistically speaking the 25's are not all that impressive but real world experience proves that they are actually pretty good.
I agree that 6.5 is a great caliber as well, I just built a 6.5 WSM that I am currently developing a load a for. 6.5 is ballistically superior in heavy for cal bullets but is it going to kill deer better up to 800 with the same shot placement? I doubt it.
I agree that 6.5 is a great caliber as well, I just built a 6.5 WSM that I am currently developing a load a for. 6.5 is ballistically superior in heavy for cal bullets but is it going to kill deer better up to 800 with the same shot placement? I doubt it.
188MULE
Well-Known Member
I LOVE my 180 partitions, man have I killed critters with that rifle/load! None farther than my wifes 493 to be exact. I have plenty around that 450 and none of them reacted like hers. But yes it is a little stout for things at or over 500. My farthest with it is 484 and that 154" whitetail dropped like a ton of bricks even though I didn't contact any bone go figure. I've been really impressed with the 7mm 168 bergers and the 6.5 140 AMAX on things past 500. I've always believed bigger and heavier is better when trophy hunting thats why I have reservations about the 25-06. I'm seeing that people are having great results with it. How does the berger perform up close?
405win
Well-Known Member
I have only taken 4 critters using my 25-06 with 115 gr. bergers.
A porcupine at 505yds, instant death.
A cow elk at 466 yds, took 2 steps and piled up. Bullet weighting 79 gr. found under the skin on the off side.
An antelope at 300 yds, went about 40 yds before giving up. What a mess in side. Bullet exited leaving a taxidermist nightmare in cape. Antelope our thin skinned anyway.
A muley buck at 175, came 20 yds back toward me (down hill) and gave it up. Again messy on the exit side. Entry side was not bad at all. Bullet just made a hole till it hit the chest cavity.
Muzzle vel. is 3130fps. Average elevation is about 4000ft.
A porcupine at 505yds, instant death.
A cow elk at 466 yds, took 2 steps and piled up. Bullet weighting 79 gr. found under the skin on the off side.
An antelope at 300 yds, went about 40 yds before giving up. What a mess in side. Bullet exited leaving a taxidermist nightmare in cape. Antelope our thin skinned anyway.
A muley buck at 175, came 20 yds back toward me (down hill) and gave it up. Again messy on the exit side. Entry side was not bad at all. Bullet just made a hole till it hit the chest cavity.
Muzzle vel. is 3130fps. Average elevation is about 4000ft.
orch
Well-Known Member
savage stagger feed blind mag model 110, 27" 1 in 10 twist lothar walther barrel, i forget the exact contour... maybe heavy sporter or light varmint.... in a choate tactical stock topped off with a leupold mark 4 6.5-20
using lapua 30-06 brass necked down and neck turned pushing the 115gr bergers over reloader 25 and federal primers... an amax in .257 would be cool but this load has been shooting so well i can't see myself changing from the bergers....
i guess if your gun safe is 6.5 defficient i can't argue with you for building another... i've been thinking my collection is 7mm and 6.5mm deficient as well but am afraid the 25 would get neglected
orch
